


Sweet dreams are made of this

by RedWritingHood



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt No Comfort, I'm so sorry, Nightmares, So much angst, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 07:50:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12476820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedWritingHood/pseuds/RedWritingHood
Summary: Jason dreams that the Joker finds him.Chapter 2: Bruce dreams of Jason.





	1. Jason

Jason dreams that the Joker finds him. Even though Jason hasn't made himself known yet, even though the Joker shouldn't know he's alive again, he finds him.

He breaks through the door to his room, his room in the manor ( _where is Alfred? where is Bruce?_ ), grinning that unnaturally wide grin of his, crowbar in hand.

Jason can't breathe. He's frozen.

The Joker just stands there in the doorway a moment, head cocked. Smiling. "Well, well, well. Look who's back. I thought I wrote you off in 'How to Kill a Mockingbirdboy.' Heh, haha. Broke you, broke your Daddybats...killed two birds with one stone, so to speak." He purses his lips. "Or should I say...one bird." He chuckles, which turns into a cackle, and then he sighs and twirls the crowbar in hand, beginning to walk forward (and finally Jason can move, scrambling back). "Ya know, kid, a joke's never as funny when it's told twice..." He grins at him. "On the other hand, I've never gotten to kill someone a second time. Ya know what they say. Twice the murder, twice the fun!" He laughs, high-pitched, continuous.

Jason presses back against his bookshelves, breath coming fast. Where is Bruce? God, where is Bruce?

"Aw, look at the ickle birdy...let's put the poor thing out of his misery, hmm?" The crowbar drags across the floor as the Joker stops in front of him.

Jason stares up at him, vision burning, blurring. "Batman will come for me," he whispers. "Batman will come..."

"Oh, kiddo...still so naive..." Joker sighs, but he keeps on _smilingsmilingsmiling_. "I hope you learn a valuable life lesson from this." That laugh again. "For the short time you have left, at least!" He hefts the crowbar. "Come to think of it, you never did give me an answer. Which one hurts more, hmm?"

(" _Forehand? Or backhand? A...or B?_ ")

Jason shuts his eyes. "Batman will come, Batman will come, Batman will come," he chants to himself, in the desperate hope that somehow, that will make it true. "Batman will..."

Something touches his face, gently. Jason's breath catches and he opens his eyes, sees a hand gloved in black.

Batman brushes his fingers against Jason's cheek, so softly. "I'm sorry," he says.

The crowbar comes down.


	2. Bruce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce dreams of Jason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha, wow, holy violent elderberries. Heed the tags, folks.

Bruce dreams of Jason.

Bruce doesn't have to dig through rubble. He finds the boy sitting amidst the wreckage, legs pulled up to his chest, back pressed against a gravestone that shouldn't even be near Ethiopia.

For a moment, Bruce thinks that Jason managed to get through unscathed. And then he sees the blood. It drips down Jason's face, mats his hair, blooms red on his Robin suit. Bruce's breath catches.

"Jason." He reaches out, but can't bring himself to touch him.

Jason glances up. His lips twist. "Hey, B. Glad to see you finally join the party. You're a little late," he spits.

Bruce flinches. "Jason..."

Jason waves a hand. He doesn't appear to notice that his fingers are broken. "Shut up. Just-- forget it. You seem to be good at that, anyway," he says bitterly.

"I could never forget you," Bruce responds quietly.

Jason snorts. "You just didn't care, then. Found a nice replacement for me soon enough. Little Timmy is just perfect, isn't he? Perfect little soldier for your never-ending crusade. Who cares about the soldiers, the kids who die under your command so long as you win the battle. But never the war. You already know, Bruce-- this war isn't ever going to be won. You're just too selfish to stop."

Bruce sinks down to his knees beside him. "I'm sorry, Jason. I'm so sorry. I should have saved you."

"No, what you need to do is listen." Jason smacks Bruce's shoulder with his palm. "You never listen."

"I'm listening now."

"No, you're not. Who wants to hear what a dead kid has to say?"

"You're not dead," Bruce says, "not...anymore. You came back."

Jason pauses, hand still pressed to Bruce's shoulder. He gives him an incredulous, pitying look. "You actually believe that?"

Bruce feels off-balance. "Of course. I saw you. I...fought you."

"Bruce. Bruce." Jason sighs, shaking his head, pulling his hand back. "I died. You think I'd come back to life? For you? Sure, Superman and Green Arrow came back-- but they're Superman and Green Arrow. Look at this logically, B. Of all people to be resurrected, why me? Your partner? Your _son_?" He says, almost gently, "Bruce...you're dreaming."

Bruce recoils. "No. I...I know what I saw. I..."

"Bruce. _Of all people_. Of course you're going to dream that your dead son came back to life. But it's not true-- you have to face facts. You really think you're that lucky?" Jason says softly.

Bruce stays silent, staring down at the ground. He feels like his heart is a wound that has been ripped open, tearing, splintering.

 _God_. Of course he's not that lucky. Of course. He dreamed, as a child, that his parents were still alive. He saw them lively in his dreams, saw them dead in his waking moments. This--this is the same. This is exactly the same.

Bruce buries his face in his hands.

A hand pats his head. There comes a crooning, insidious voice-- the Joker. "There, there, Batsy," he coos. "At least you'll always have me, isn't that right?" He laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs.

Bruce rises. His lips draw back in a snarl. He reaches out and grabs the Joker's head, fingers twisting brutally in his hair, digging into his skull. Joker's laughter becomes a cry as Bruce slams his face into Jason's gravestone, over and over and _over_ \--

Until he wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe there are two chapters of this. Um...sorry?

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter is Jason's. Next is Bruce.


End file.
